Boris Johnson has decided to keep Plan B measures in place as the UK battles with increasing hospital admissions due to coronavirus.
At least 17 NHS trusts in England currently have critical incidents – an alert to signal that there are fears priority services cannot be safely delivered – as hospitals are confronted by a wave of Omicron patients, with a rising number of admissions among the elderly.
New data shows that the rate of new cases of Covid-19 among the very elderly in England is now higher than at the peak of the second wave of the virus last winter.
As Omicron continues to spread quickly, the government has decided to alter the rules on testing to free up lab capacity for PCR tests.
In January, there are three key dates to look out for - including when rules will change and when current measures will be reviewed.
January 7
Pre-departure Covid tests for travellers arriving in England will be scrapped from 4am on Friday, January 7.
The tests were initially brought in to try and prevent new cases of the Omicron variant from being imported into the UK.
However, the prime minister said the Omicron variant is now so prevalent in the UK that the measure is having a limited impact on the spread of the virus.
The government has said it will also drop the requirement for travellers to self-isolate on arrival until they receive a negative PCR test, taken within two days.
From 4am on Sunday, January 9, passengers will be able to take a post-arrival lateral flow rather than a PCR test.
They will be required to take a lateral flow test no later than the end of day two after their arrival and will only have to isolate if the test result is positive.
January 11
At the moment, anyone who is asymptomatic and tests positive with a lateral flow test has to have their result confirmed with a PCR test.
However, from January 11, the follow-up PCR test will no longer be required.
People who test positive with a lateral flow must still self-isolate immediately, and can finish their self-isolation after seven days as long as they have tested negative on a lateral flow twice, with the tests taken 24 hours apart.
People who have Covid-19 symptoms should still get a PCR test, the new rules state.
Similar systems are now in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
January 26
Mr Johnson has decided to keep Plan B measures in place for another three weeks as hospitalisations rise across the UK.
The restrictions, which include the mandatory use of face masks in certain public settings and the use of Covid Passes at large venues, are set to expire completely on January 26.
The government will conduct a second review of the restrictions before the three weeks are up.
If ministers decide that the measures need to stay in place beyond January 26, there will be another vote in Parliament.
This will need to take place before the rules expire on January 26.
January 26 is also the date that the use of masks for secondary school children in England will be reviewed.
